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CAREERShould You Be Known For A Voice Over Niche? YES - For Better Pay, Clients And ExperiencesApril 15, 2016By Rick LanceVoice Actor

Voice over is a profession of many paths, with plenty of
opportunity for you to change directions, backtrack, or speed ahead -
and everyone’s course is different.

However, there’s one fork in the
road that nearly every actor faces, and that’s whether to settle into a
niche or try to be more of an "all-in-one” kind of actor.

Frankly, I
don't believe the latter will be sustainable for a career.

FOR EXAMPLE ...

Here’s
an analogy: Let’s say you want to buy a new TV. You’ve got a few
options, two of the biggest being a general retailer, like Wal-Mart, or a
more specialized electronics store, like Best Buy. Which one will you
go to?

Well, many people will choose Best Buy, because there might be
more options, the salespeople might be more knowledgeable, etc. On the
other hand, Wal-Mart will appeal to another segment of TV shoppers, who
may think they might get a better deal or who are also in the market for
other items that Best Buy won’t have.

Me?
I’d choose Best Buy, because I want to buy my TV from someone who
specializes in TVs.

SO GOES VO

It’s no different with voice actors, in my opinion.
When you niche yourself, you’re telling your clients, "This is my area
of expertise.”

That is appealing to many clients because:

they know
what they’re after in terms of their target market and the "sound” that
they’re looking for, and

they want an expert to handle their project.

So, to answer the original
question at hand: does it pay to niche yourself in voice over? I’m of
the opinion that, yes, it most certainly does.

SHOULD YOU NICHE?

When you hone in on a
specific skill, and you take that skill set and cultivate it, and brand
it, and market it, you’re tapping into a specific segment of clients who
you know will be interested in YOU.

Your chances of better pay, repeat
work, and just an overall better working experience are, in my opinion,
greatly increased once you’ve zeroed in on your own niche.

For example, I've created my own niche along with a slogan I can abruptly back up with purity: "The Voice of Americana! Serving the basic industries that keep America moving."

I've
centralized my thinking and my marketing. And I can tell you honestly,
it has been working quite well now for the last nine years.-------------------

ABOUT RICK

Rick Lance has been working as a voice talent since 1993,
transitioning from singing demos and personal projects in Nashville’s
music business to voicing hundreds of commercials, then promos,
narrations, character voices and more. His vocal style is described as
Americana, the voice of the Heartland. He
is currently the voice (narrator) of three hunting programs and one
outdoor program on the Sportsman Channel and the Outdoor Channel. His
client list includes Toyota, Harley Davidson, Sony Entertainment, Coca
Cola, Life Care Centers of America, John Deere, Jordan Outdoor
Enterprises and Sacred Seasons II.
He
has also become a leading voice for the industries of construction,
manufacturing, energy production, trucking, agriculture/equine, outdoor
sports, travel, community banking, finance and health care. And he is
a colorful voice for film, television, museum and corporate
documentaries. "I’m lucky to be working within my
comfort zone," he says, "literally living out my voice acting life as an
outdoorsman, horseman, weekend cowboy and working man, gentleman farmer
on my six acre mini ranch with my horses, dogs, cats and my wife near
Nashville.”

Thanks Rick, great vision here. I've been pondering this for some time now as well. I'm a good voice artist, but great at one particular niche, if one can say such things about themselves. When you can honestly hear and feel the magic, why deny it. Now it's time to exploit it I suppose. Wish me well and thanks again for the affirmation.